Context updates for multi-link devices

Abstract

A first access point (AP) of an AP multi-link device (MLD) is associated with a first communication link, and one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD are associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the AP MLD. The first AP of the AP MLD generates a frame including a first change sequence field and one or more secondary change sequence fields. The first change sequence field indicates a presence or absence of a critical update associated with the first communication link, and each of the one or more secondary change sequence fields indicates a presence or absence of a critical update associated with a corresponding secondary communication link of the AP MLD. The first AP of the AP MLD transmits the frame over the first communication link of the AP MLD to a station (STA) of a STA MLD.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for wireless communication performed by an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) including a first AP associated with a first communication link of the AP MLD and including one or more secondary APs associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the AP MLD, the method comprising:
 generating a frame by the first AP of the AP MLD, the frame including:
 a first change sequence field indicating a presence or absence of a critical update to one or more operation parameters for the first AP of the AP MLD; and 
 one or more secondary change sequence fields each associated with a respective secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD and indicating a presence or absence of a critical update to one or more operation parameters for the respective secondary AP, wherein a value of a secondary change sequence field, of the one or more secondary change sequence fields, associated with a first secondary AP, of the one or more secondary APs, is incremented relative to a previous value for the respective secondary change sequence field to indicate a presence of the critical update to the one or more operation parameters for the first secondary AP; and 
 
 transmitting the frame via the first communication link of the AP MLD. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, a reassociation response frame, or a fast initial link setup (FILS) discovery frame. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first change sequence field indicates a most recent critical update to the one or more operation parameters for the first AP of the AP MLD; and 
 each of the one or more secondary change sequence fields indicates a respective most recent critical update to the one or more operation parameters for the respective secondary AP of the AP MLD. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the frame includes a Multi-Link Element carrying the first change sequence field. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the Multi-Link element includes one or more per-link profile subelements, each per-link profile subelement carrying a respective partial set of operation parameters or a respective complete set of operation parameters for a respective secondary AP of the AP MLD. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more secondary change sequence fields are carried in one or more respective Reduced Neighbor Report (RNR) elements of the frame. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a probe request frame from a wireless station (STA) of a STA MLD; and 
 transmitting a probe response frame from the first AP of the AP MLD to the wireless STA of the STA MLD via the first communication link, the probe response frame including a respective partial set of operation parameters or a respective complete set of operation parameters for each of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the probe request frame indicates a most-recently received critical update for at least one of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the first AP of the AP MLD, an unsolicited broadcast probe response frame carrying a complete set of operation parameters for a secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising, prior to transmitting the unsolicited broadcast probe response frame, providing an indication of a transmission of the complete set of operation parameters for the secondary AP of the AP MLD. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 6 , wherein each RNR element includes a neighbor AP information field indicating a value of a respective secondary change sequence field of the one or more secondary change sequence fields. 
     
     
       12. A method for wireless communication performed by a wireless station (STA) of a STA multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
 associating with a first access point (AP) of an AP MLD, the first AP being associated with a first communication link of the AP MLD, the AP MLD further including one or more secondary APs associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the AP MLD; 
 receiving a frame from the first AP via the first communication link of the AP MLD, the frame including:
 a first change sequence field indicating a presence or absence of a critical update to one or more operation parameters for the first AP of the AP MLD; and 
 one or more secondary change sequence fields each associated with a respective secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD and indicating a presence or absence of a critical update to one or more operation parameters for the respective secondary AP; and 
 
 identifying an occurrence of a second critical update to the one or more operation parameters for a first secondary AP, of the one or more secondary APs, based on a value of the secondary change sequence field associated with the first secondary AP being incremented relative to a previous value for the secondary change sequence field received at the STA MLD. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising storing, in the STA MLD, a respective change sequence field value for the first AP and for each of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the storing includes incrementing the respective change sequence field value for the respective one of the first AP or the one or more secondary APs that is stored in the STA MLD in response to the respective one of the first change sequence field or the one or more secondary change sequence fields indicating a presence of the respective critical update. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first change sequence field indicates a most recent critical update to the one or more operation parameters for the first AP of the AP MLD; and 
 each of the one or more secondary change sequence fields indicates a most recent critical update to the one or more operation parameters for the respective secondary AP of the AP MLD. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the frame includes a Multi-Link Element carrying the first change sequence field. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the Multi-Link element includes one or more per-link profile subelements, each per-link profile subelement carrying a respective partial set of operation parameters or a respective complete set of operation parameters for a respective secondary AP of the AP MLD. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more secondary change sequence fields are carried in one or more respective Reduced Neighbor Report (RNR) elements of the frame. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 transmitting a probe request frame via the first communication link; and 
 receiving a probe response frame from the first AP of the AP MLD via the first communication link, the probe response frame including a respective partial set of operation parameters or a respective complete set of operation parameters for each of the one or more secondary APs. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the probe request frame indicates a most-recently received critical update for at least one of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD. 
     
     
       21. An access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) including a first AP associated with a first communication link of the AP MLD and including one or more secondary APs associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the AP MLD, the AP MLD comprising:
 at least one modem; 
 at least one processor communicatively coupled with the at least one modem; and 
 at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor in conjunction with the at least one modem, causes the AP MLD to perform operations comprising:
 generating a frame by the first AP of the AP MLD, the frame including:
 a first change sequence field indicating a presence or absence of a critical update to one or more operation parameters for the first AP of the AP MLD; and 
 one or more secondary change sequence fields each associated with a respective secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD and indicating a presence or absence of a critical update to one or more operation parameters for the respective secondary AP, wherein a value of a secondary change sequence field, of the one or more secondary change sequence fields, associated with a first secondary AP, of the one or more secondary APs, is incremented relative to a previous value for the respective secondary change sequence field to indicate a presence of the critical update to the one or more operation parameters for the first secondary AP; and 
 
 transmitting the frame via the first communication link of the AP MLD. 
 
 
     
     
       22. The AP MLD of  claim 21 , wherein the frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, a reassociation response frame, or a fast initial link setup (FILS) discovery frame. 
     
     
       23. The AP MLD of  claim 21 , wherein the frame includes a Multi-Link Element carrying the first change sequence field. 
     
     
       24. The AP MLD of  claim 23 , wherein the Multi-Link element includes one or more per-link profile subelements, each per-link profile subelement carrying a partial set of operation parameters or a complete set of operation parameters for a respective secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD. 
     
     
       25. The AP MLD of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more secondary change sequence fields are carried in one or more respective Reduced Neighbor Report (RNR) elements of the frame. 
     
     
       26. A wireless station (STA) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
 at least one modem; 
 at least one processor communicatively coupled with the at least one modem; and 
 at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor in conjunction with the at least one modem, causes the STA MLD to perform operations comprising:
 associating with a first access point (AP) of an AP MLD, the first AP being associated with a first communication link of the AP MLD, the AP MLD further including one or more secondary APs associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the AP MLD; 
 receiving a frame from the first AP via the first communication link of the AP MLD, the frame including:
 a first change sequence field indicating a presence or absence of a critical update to one or more operation parameters for the first AP of the AP MLD; and 
 one or more secondary change sequence fields each associated with a respective secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD and indicating a presence or absence of a critical update to one or more operation parameters for the respective secondary AP; and 
 
 identifying an occurrence of a second critical update to the one or more operation parameters for a first secondary AP, of the one or more secondary APs, based on a value of the secondary change sequence field associated with the first secondary AP being incremented relative to a previous value for the secondary change sequence field received at the STA MLD. 
 
 
     
     
       27. The STA MLD of  claim 26 , wherein execution of the processor-readable code causes the STA MLD to perform operations further comprising storing, in the STA MLD, a respective change sequence field value for the first AP and each of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD. 
     
     
       28. The STA MLD of  claim 26 , wherein execution of the processor-readable code causes the STA MLD to perform operations further comprising:
 transmitting a probe request frame via the first communication link; and 
 receiving a probe response frame from the first AP of the AP MLD via the first communication link, the probe response frame including a respective partial set of operation parameters or a respective complete set of operation parameters for each of the one or more secondary APs.